Lipo for the Face?

Liposuction of the area under the chin and jaw is very safe and routinely performed. However, liposuction of the face itself can lead to contour deformities (divots or bumps) that are very difficult to remedy. For that reason, many surgeons, myself included, avoid liposuction of the cheeks. Full cheeks are actually a youthful feature and plastic surgery has transitioned to adding volume to balance the face as opposed to removing that youthful volume. A hollow face looks aged and our goal is to try to maintain and replace that youthful volume. I hope this information is helpful.Stephen Weber MD, FACS

A #facelift may also involve the tightening of certain muscles and tissues.However, #liposuction is used for areas such as the #jowls or the #chin.Hence, it is extremely important to choose a highly skilled and experienced surgeon to match your goals and skin type with the appropriate surgical techniques.It is important to understand that facelifts are meant to remove major folds and wrinkles, notfine wrinkles. A facelift which removed every line and fold would be too aggressive and would result in an unnatural result. The goal of our surgeons is to make your facelift look as natural as possible.Fine lines and wrinkles are better addressed by skin treatments such as chemical peels or microdermabrasion, which we also offer at our office. Many of our facelift patients enhance their surgical result with these nonsurgical procedures.  Often we may recommend other procedures to go along with your facelift, such as blepharoplasty or a midface (cheek) lift, for an optimal result.

Cheek liposuction is rarely performed.  However, chin and neck liposuction may positively recontour your facial profile which you may find beneficial. This may obviate the need for upper face surgery. Raffy Karamanoukian, Los Angeles

   Liposuction of the chin and sometimes jowls can be useful.  Buccal fat pad removal can be performed as well.  True cheek liposuction should be approached cautiously.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

Liposuction can be done on rare occasions to a round face to create better definition. It has to be done with a very small cannula and very little fat needs to be removed. I usually use this in the jowls. Liposuction under the chin is a different story. In that area liposuction can be very effective in people with good skin tone. these patients are usually younger. Any time the skin is loose or in an older patient, it is better to remove the fat directly with an open technique and do skin resection or tightening as in a facelift. You should make an appointment with an experienced plastic surgeon to find out what procedure works best for you.

Liposuction in the cheeks is tricky. It can sometimes cause asymmetries or bumps and dimpling. The face can be sculptured with it but you have to be aware of the risks mentioned above. A better option usually is to do liposuction of the jawline and the area under the chin to improve the neck contour. Remember a fuller face always has less wrinkles. 

Regards

Dr. J

Disclaimer: 

This answer is not intended to give a medical opinion and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.